Brown seeks $12.4M more for prison health facility

Wednesday

May 14, 2014 at 12:01 AM

SACRAMENTO - The newly built prison medical center southeast of Stockton could see a significant boost in funding, in part to fix conditions deemed "inadequate" by a medical receiver less than one year after opening.

Jennie Rodriguez-Moore

SACRAMENTO - The newly built prison medical center southeast of Stockton could see a significant boost in funding, in part to fix conditions deemed "inadequate" by a medical receiver less than one year after opening.

Gov. Jerry Brown is proposing a $12.4 million increase to the California Health Care Facility's general fund in the revised budget he released Tuesday.

State officials opened the facility in June in response to federal court findings that prisoners were not receiving a constitutional level of health care, but months into operations, admissions of patient inmates were halted amid reports of unsanitary conditions and poor medical care.

Court-appointed medical receiver Clark Kelso suspended patient intake at the largest medical prison facility of its type at the end of January, saying there was a complete breakdown in the supply chain.

The added funds would be used to hire custody staff; for plant operations and food services; and to ensure the facility meets licensing standards.

Terry Thornton, spokeswoman for California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said the expanded resources would pay for 105.9 new positions, including 77 correctional officers. The larger custody level would enable medical and clinical staff to focus on patient care, she said.

"The administration is committed to the continued improvement of (the prison system's) delivery of health care services to inmates," Thornton said.

Nearly 20 percent of the department's total funding for the coming fiscal year - about $2.6 billion - is dedicated to providing the required medical, mental health and dental care to inmates, Thornton said.

Joyce Hayhoe, director of legislation and communications at California Correctional Health Care Services, said the proposed increase does not affect the receiver's budget for health care services. But the receiver supports the governor's proposal.

"We believe that this is a necessary step to help address the deficiency that existed at the Stockton (facility)," Hayhoe said.

Hayhoe said the receiver's office is expecting a report in June from a consultant who is studying health care at the facility. Any proposal for more resources would be made after the report is complete.

Hayhoe said the receiver has not identified a date to restart admissions of medically ill inmates. A target to resume admissions of mentally ill inmates, however, has been set for the end of June, state officials have said.

Contact reporter Jennie Rodriguez-Moore at (209) 943-8564 or jrodriguez@recordnet.com. Follow her at recordnet.com/courtsblog and on Twitter @TheRecordCourts.